A Lifetime Without You
by JGrondin
Summary: A sequel to "Life is Funny Sometimes" Victoria knew that visiting New York with her new husband was a huge mistake. She could see no possible way this could all work out...
1. Chapter 1

A repeat of the ending to Life I Funny Sometimes.

* * *

"How long Banner?"

He cringed before turning round. It was never good news when Victoria was speaking in surnames

"What do you mean?" He tentatively questioned

"You know what the fuck I mean! How long?"

Bruce sighed, he did know exactly what she meant. "Look, Natasha and I, it's not…"

"Dont you dare." Victoria growled.

"Vick…"

"How long Bruce? how long before you took everything we built together and jumped into bed with her?" Her voice was getting louder and louder, and she was visibly struggling to keep in the tears.

"We didn't…" Bruce trailed off. He wanted to reassure her, but he wasn't sure he could.

"Stop it Bruce." She interrupted again in a whisper. "It took 2 years to get you to trust me enough to be with me. And now you and that...you what, never mind. I can't right now." Her voice cracked as she finished and walked away.

Bruce finished up his work, giving her some time to cool down before leaving his lab and following her back to their rooms.

"What are you doing?" He asked, surveying the luggage and boxes she had already managed to pull out and pack.

"I'm leaving." She explained, not even glancing up as she continued to fold and pack her clothes

"Please, Victoria…" Bruce was ready to beg, watching her as she tossed a t shirt back towards her dresser. He instantly recognized it as one of his that she liked to sleep in.

"No." Victoria stated firmly "I was offered a job back in Boston a few weeks ago. I told them I needed to think about it. I really wanted to talk to you about it. But now…"

"I don't want you to go! I never meant…" Bruce frantically explained, his eyes darting around at the missing tchokies from the table tops and pictures gone off the walls.

"You never meant for this to happen?" She spat back at him. "Fuck you Bruce. I'm done. Go away and I'll be packed and out of here in a few hours."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Victoria glared at the redhead casually sitting at her desk.

"I have a message from Dr…"

"I really don't care to hear anything he told you to tell me." Her angering buoyed her confidence and from one she was not at all intimidated by Natasha Romanov.

"Bruce called you but…"

"I didn't pick up. You have any idea why that might have happened?" She snapped back.

Natasha sighed. This was turning out to be every bit as difficult as she's expected. "I'm didn't come here to apologize to you. Bruce is a grown man and…"

"I dont want your apology! Bruce made his own choices and now he has to live that. If he thinks for one second…"

"He's gone."

"What?" Victoria asked. Her tirade brought up short.

"He left, after….after the last mission. He took a jet and he's disappeared." Natasha explained as gently as she could.

"Because of you?" Victoria demanded. The look in her eyes clearly conveying to Natasha that she deserved everything she was getting.

"Maybe, but we think it was more because of you. He couldn't…"

"I don't care" Victoria interrupted and continued to Natasha's shocked silence. "I have wasted so many tears on that man. Whenever things get too hard, off he goes. Back to Calcutta or to God knows where."

"He loves you." Natasha interjected

"No, not really. Not they way I deserve. You've delivered your message. Thank you."

"Bruce is good and deep down he wanted it to work, he's just…"

"I flatter myself that after all this time I know him better then you. Good bye, Agent Romanov."

Victoria sighed tiredly and pointed to the door as Natasha silently walked out.

* * *

The school year moved on, and Victoria found herself moving with it. She meant what she had told Natasha that day. She had wasted too much on Bruce Banner. Too many years, and definitely too many tears.

She avoided Bree Roger's phone calls, and wouldn't answer Tony above once a month. Victoria Maxwell-Stark was many things. But it turned out being able to run with superheroes wasn't one of them. So she methodically separated herself from all of them

One day in late May she walked into the science department office, and was introduced to a new hire. He asked her out to drinks, to get to know some of his coworkers better. He had an open smile and no shadows lurking in his clear blue eyes. She smiled back and accepted. No tragic pasts, no super villains waiting in the wings. Yes, he was just what she needed.

Two years later, Tony hung a new photo in his office. It took a few weeks for the relatively newly returned Dr. Banner to notice it. He had turned and walked away almost immediately. There was Victoria, his Victoria, on her wedding day. Smiling beautifully up at a man who wasn't him.

* * *

Thanks for giving this a read!


	2. Chapter 2

So our story begins...

* * *

Victoria was a bundle of nervous the whole flight. She hadn't been back to New York in over 3 years. Not since she left Bruce. Her leg kept tapping, and she couldn't stop flexing and clenching her fingers.

"Its ok." Matthew soothed reaching out and grasping her hand. "We were made aware that he'll probably be there. And I know it'll be hard on you. But I'm here. You dont have to talk to him if you dont want to. And if you do want to, you know thats ok too."

Victoria squeezed his hand and smiled back at him. Her husband was always so understanding of her past with Bruce. She had told him everything, well everything that wasn't classified anyways.

Tony had called them a few months ago to invite, or rather beg, Victoria to come out to New York again. He was getting a big industry award and wanted her to see the presentation and come to the reception. It had been so long since anyone had seen her! After she agreed, of course, he told her Bruce was back. And had been for about six months. She assured Tony that was ancient history and she had moved on. It was a lie, but no one other than her had to know that. So off they went to New York, Victoria and her new husband.

As soon as they arrived in the tower, Bree ran up to meet her squealing her name like a school girl. "I can't believe it's you and you finally came back! I've missed you!"

After introducing Matthew to everyone, Victoria gently untangled herself from the conversation the couple retreated to Victoria's old room to change for the award presentation. Victoria hesitated before she entered and glanced down at Bruce's door.

"He stays right there then?" Matthew questioned, noticing her hesitation.

"Yes does, did. He used to, any way."

"Maybe I should talk to him…."

"No!" Victoria snapped, eyes going wide. "Just leave him be. You can't make him upset, he, well he…"

"OK, ok. I'll let it go sweetheart." Matthew placated her.

As she opened the door to the suite of rooms the sound of Bruce's voice calling her sweetheart echoed in her ears, it used to happen every time Matthew called her by that pet name. But as Bruce's memory dimmed so had the echos. Being so close to all of it again must be bringing it back. Thankfully, she was able to quickly shake it off as she showed Matthew around.

Bruce's 1st glimpse of Victoria was watching her walk over to sit with Tony and Pepper at the award presentation. There was a tall, blond man walking with her. Tony shook his hand and Pepper hugged him.

 _Her husband_ He thought as he watched them sit down. _She's not your Victoria anymore Banner, she's with him now. God, she looks even more beautiful then I remember her._ He shook his head to clear his thoughts and tried not to stare at her as the speeches began.

Victoria had noticed him too. As the speech makers droned on her mind wandered and she scanned the crowd. She was only a little surprised to find how quickly she found him.

 _Oh Bruce_ she thought. _What am I doing here? What a mistake I've made._

Almost like he knew she was watching, he turned to her. He stared as her eyes widened and her face flushed. She stared back at his ruddy, blushing completion. Until Matthew took her hand and whispered in her ear. She watched Bruce take of his glasses and pinch his nose right before she turned to answer her husband.

They left to dress for the reception, a formal affair. Victoria realized with a laugh that she had chosen a green dress for the evening. _Bruce would have found this funny…_

"You ready, Babe?" Matthew asked, interrupting her thoughts. "Wow, you look gorgeous."

"Thank you baby. Yeah I'm ready lets go."

The small talk went on forever. Natasha would suddenly vaporize when Matthew and Victoria got within 20 feet of her. Matthew didn't know who she was and didn't notice, so Victoria decided not to mention it.

It seemed to happen all of a sudden and without warning, even though they had both been monitoring each other all night.

"Bruce," Victoria shaikly greeted him. Matthew noticed and took her hand in concern. Victoria smiled at him. "This is my husband, Matthew. We came out for a few weeks. To visit with Tony."

"Victoria, Matthew. Nice to see you both." Before he could stop himself he added "You look wonderful, Victoria. Green suits you."

Victoria's eyes snapped up to his and she gave a humorless chuckle.

"Yes, at least it used to. Excuse Me" she said, her voice starting to crack as she turned to leave.

"Sweetheart?" Matthew questioned, not releasing her hand. She gave him a pleading look and he nodded as he let go and she walked away.

Matthew turned to watch Dr Banner walking out to the veranda. One glance at his wife's fleeing back and he knew what needed to be done.

Hearing him call Victoria sweetheart and then witnessing their silent conversation had nearly put him over the had to leave to find some space to calm down and clear his head.

"Excuse me, Dr. Banner?" A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes," Bruce had stepped outside for some air and turned around to find Victoria's husband.

"I'm sorry to impose on you, but I'd like to speak with you." Matthew insisted

Brue narrowed his eyes. But nodded him to go ahead.

"I know Vic says she's over you, but I think we both know that's not true. Sure, she loves me in her way, but I saw the way you looked at each other at each other at the Tony's presentation. Please let me finish and I'll leave you alone…" Matthew requested, as he could see Bruce getting ready to walk away from him. Bruce paused, frowned, and gestured for him to continue.

"There is a part of my wife that she thinks is a secret, but it's not. A part of her that will always wait for you. She still calls out your name in her sleep. We've been together for 3 years now and she still dreams about you. Do you know how long it took her to stop trying to soothe me when we made love? She'd go into these deep breathing rhythms and sort of shush me. I can only assume that that had something to do with you and whatever issues made you leave those times.I'm almost finished Doctor please hear me out…" He insisted, as Bruce again tried to leave. Matthew hurried to finish his speech.

" I have come to terms with the fact that she settled for me, settled for this life we've built. A life that's a dream come true for me. But you were gone to no one knew where and had had no contact with her so she made a decision. She still gets bored sometimes, and complains that life is lacking excitement. So we travel somewhere exotic and chalk it up to wanderlust. But I know she misses the life she had with you. I try to love her enough for both of us, but I know one wink from you and she'll be gone. I won't blame her when it happens, and I'll be there to pick up the pieces,again, when things get too real and you take off on her, again. "

"Have you talked to her about this?" Bruce snapped, angry that this man, this stranger, was talking to him like this.

"About settling? No, some things are better left unsaid for everyone's happiness. But about you? Of course I have. I know all about you, well she told me what she could. So I do know somethings about you are classified secrets. I know she left the 1st time because of unreciprocated love. But you convinced her somehow and she went back to you. Then you cheated on her, she never did find out if it was physical but it was definitely an emotional affair. So she left again, for good she thinks. We meet about 6 month later. We are married, Dr Banner. We don't have many secrets from each other." Matthew explained.

Bruce scoffed as he kept speaking "So I guess I'm asking you a favor, not for me but for her. Don't take this opportunity, don't give her any signs you're still interested. Dont do it, just stay away from her and let us live our life together."

Bruce turned away and pinched the bridge of his nose and nodded. When he got himself under control Matthew was already gone. He frowned as he realized he wasn't going to get a chance to respond to the speech. But how do you go about telling a man you're still in love with is wife?

* * *

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

"Matty! A quick word!" Tony shouted as he wandered through the common area

Matthew grabbed the coffee he's been making and hurried to catch up to him, he hadn't even stopped walking to be sure Matthew had heard.

"Whats up Tony?" He ask finally catching up to him at the door of his huge lab.

"Where's Vicky at?" Tony started, innocently enough, leading him inside the room.

"Off with Bree somewhere. Catching up, girl stuff" Matthew explained

"Uh huh uh huh. So…."

Matthew interrupted with a sigh, "Get to the point."

He supposed it was only a matter of time before Tony wanted to talk to him, and they'd been in New York for a week and half.

Tony looked at the him hard and nodded. "I thought, after being gone so long and getting married to someone else she'd be better."

"Believe it or not she is," Matthew answered.

Tony shot him a disbelieving look.

"I mean it Tony. She's come along way. She had a hard time right after our wedding. I think she thought she was abandoning him some how. But it's so much better now. It was hard on her to see him last night. But she'll be ok again. I'll help her through this."

Tony shook his head. "Why do you put up with it? Her being so hung up on Bruce?"

Matthew paused and thought a moment. "Victoria is the most important person in my world, Tony. Her past helped to form her into who she is now, and Bruce was an important part of that past."

Tony paused too, then asked somewhat sharply, "And if she leaves you? and goes back to him? After that speech I hate to ask it, but we both know it might happen."

Matthew sighed, knowing it could most definitely happen again. "Then she does. But I won't go down without a fight. I know that he's your best friend, Tony, but he messed her up bad. And he will very likely run again after the 1st blush of their relationship starts to fade. And when he does, I'll be waiting."

Tony nodded his head and turned away. Matthew, having known Tony for a while now, understood that as his dismissal.

* * *

"I'll get it!" Victoria announced and put down her wine glass. There had been a knock at Bree's door and she was busy with the twins.

"Bruce!" She gasped, her smile of welcome fading as she saw his face.

"Victoria, what are you doing here?" Bruce asked, surprised.

"Catching up with old friends, And you?" The alcohol was making her bold, her tone bordering on rude.

"The same. I have know Bree for a lot longer than you."

"Well, I'll just go let her know you're here then!" Victoria snapped

"Wait," Bruce said, grabbing her arm to stop her.

"Dont you touch me Bruce Banner!" Victoria exclaimed, shaking herself free.

"Can we at least talk about this!" Bruce asked.

"What's to say Bruce!"

"I dont think you have any idea how much I've missed you," Bruce explained in barely more than a whisper.

"How much you missed me! OK, fine! What do you want to know!" The effects of the wine loosened her tongue and she couldn't stop herself. He wanted to talk, fine she'd talk.

"Do you want to know how long I waited for you! Then they sent Natasha! Her of all people! To tell me you took off again. I pretended I didn't care but I cried for months! Months, Bruce! What else?! Do you want to hear how hard I made it for Matthew? How that I strung him along for a year, just in case you showed back up! Do you want to hear about the panic attack I nearly had when he proposed? Or how I cried on my wedding day!? Because now if you even came back it would be too late!"

Bruce started back at her, his anger rising. "If I recall, you're the one that left 1st, both times. Not me!"

"Oh, Banner." Victoria shook her head sadly. "You may not have physically packed up your bags and left. But by the time I did you were long gone."

Bruce galred back. And Victoria matched him. "Relax, will you please Bruce. Haven't you learned how to control yourself in the 3 years I've been gone?"

Bruce inhaled deeply. "I never left you. I made mistakes."

"Natasha Romanov was a bit more then a mistake."

"I never slept with her," Bruce desperately tried to explain.

"I almost wish you had!" Victoria exploded. "I might have gotten over it if it were just sex! No, what you did was much worse. We had been together for 2 years at the point, and you went to another woman for emotional support. After all we had been through, do you have any idea how deeply that hurt?"

Her tearful explanation brought Bruce up short. He opened his mouth to offer some kind of explanation, when Bree came back into the room and he heard footsteps coming down the hall.

"We heard yelling…" Matthew explained as he and Tony came up to the door. He took one look at his teary eyed wife and turned on Bruce

"Bruce," Bree interjected with a deadly cold tone. "I think you need to go back to your room for the night. Matthew can take care of his wife from here."

Bruce looked up at his old friend, her husband now standing by her side. He turned to face an angry Matthew standing by Victoria's side as she resolutely fought back her tears.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Victoria looked up with eyes narrowed and said nothing.

Bruce began to mumble a second apology. He stopped himself, nodded his head, and let Tony lead him back to his rooms.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sweetheart?" Matthew gently called into their bedroom.

"Matthew! I'm so sorry. I don't want to do this to you I…"

"What are you talking about? You're not doing anything to me." He reassured her

I Just...crying about Bruce like this. Arguing with him. I know I shouldn't," Victoria stumbled out

"Victoria, do you still love him?"

Victoria started at her husband, stunned. "What! no of course not! I love you! I…"

Matthew nodded, a bit sadly. "The 1st person you really love, that never goes away. I've told you about the girl I dated in college, we almost got married. I didn't work out for us, but part of me will always love her. Just like part of you will always love Bruce, because of the things you shared with him."

"But I love you! I married you!" Victoria rushed to explain, all the while thinking that some college girlfriend couldn't compare to what she and Bruce had.

"I know," he said taking her into his arms. "You never really got the closure you needed with Bruce. You got into a big fight, and you left him. But then he disappeared for years. And the 1st time he disappeared he came back. So you were waiting for him. Then he just appears back into your life, but now it's too late."

"Matthew, I...I don't really know what to say," Victoria mumbled. She was shocked a how easily Matthew understood the situation.

"I know you better then you think, love. I know it took us so long to really get together because of him. I know getting married was hard because you felt like your were closing a door. And that's all ok."

Victoria looked at him is disbelief

"No I mean it. I knew you loved another man, but things didn't work out. So, I decided I would just make you love me more. I think I won," he finished with a chuckle.

"I think so too," she laughed, cuddling up close to him.

"Maybe you can go talk to him while you're here? Finish things up, get some closure." He suggested, his hand staring a slow creep up the front of her shirt.

"Yeah, I think I will." she agreed, turning herself to face him.

While she felt weirdly guilty about it, their lovemaking was a relief to Victoria's frazzled mind. It required no false starts, no slow downs, and no thought.

* * *

It wasn't long before Victoria and Bruce saw each other again. In the common kitchen, Victoria and Matthew were making lunch. He came up behind her and she leaned back on his chest, turning her head to smile up at him.

Bruce was taken aback by the easy intimacy they had with each other. They are married, Banner. And she could never have been this relaxed around you. She had to always double check, reassess, make sure everything was calm.

Matthew leaned down to kiss his wife, causing Bruce to stumble over the corner of a carpet and alert them to his presences.

"Afternoon, Dr Banner," Matthew greeted him, not releasing his hold of Victoria's waist.

"Matthew, Victoria" Bruce mumbled in return, averting his eyes.

Bruce looked up and caught Matthew and Victoria having some kind of silent conversation. He raised an eyebrow at her, she smiled and shrugged, then he nodded.

"Well," Matthew announced. "I'm off to see Tony before lunch. I'm sure you too have some catching up to do." He gave Bruce a hard look as he walked out. Bruce easily guessed its meaning 'Sort things out, for my wife. But remember what we talked about.'

Bruce glanced at Victoria, feeling his anxiety rise and removing his glasses and pinching his nose. He looked up in surprise at Victoria's chuckle

She smiled at his expression. " I was just remembering how cute I used to think that was."

"What was?" Bruce questioned.

"Your little tick, taking off your glasses and pinching the bridge of your nose. Its your go to whenever you start to get anxious."

The smiled at each other for a second, neither one sure where to begin. Victoria was the 1st to break the silence.

"OK, Bruce, here's the thing. I don't want to either have to avoid you or fight with you every time we speak." She started, jumping right in.

"So you want to be just friends?"

Victoria nodded. "I guess that's what I'm saying…"

"You really think we can that? Just be friends?" Bruce questioned again

"Yes...no...I'm honestly not sure. I think we can try to be civil to one another. I'm here for another week and a half. Then we'll be gone and I'll be sure to give fair warning if we come back. So you'll have enough time to...not be here. If you want." Victoria's offered.

"I'm not sure that's good enough. I'm not sure I want to be...cold acquaintances." Bruce spat out the last two words like they burned his tongue.

"Stop right there Bruce. You're heading down a dangerous path. Both of us need to move past this." Victoria warned.

"Both of us? You married someone else!" Bruce snapped

"Really? It was my fault? You cheated on me and then disappeared for years!"

"I love you!"

"And I love you too, but it's too late for that!"

Bruce stared. "You do still love me."

Victoria sighed. "Of course I do! Part of me probably always will. But love isn't always enough."

"And Matthew? He's enough?"

Bruce quietly took her hand, and Victoria looked into his eyes for a long time. The she quietly began again. "I lost my happily ever after, the day I lost you."

"I'm not much of a prince." Bruce scoffed.

Victoria gave a humorless chuckled. "You know, you need to think more of yourself. You beat yourself up about the other guy. But I'm actually grateful to him!"

"Grateful? There's a new one!"

"Yes grateful. The accident and the other guy started you on a chain of events that led you here. That lead you to me. Without him, our lives would have been a lot different. We were so happy! We could have had everything Bruce."

"And now? What can we have now?" he asked, taking a step closer.

Victoria placed her free hand on his chest, to stop him moving forward. She squeezed the hand holding hers and slowly pulled her hand away. "Now it's still too late. Nothing has changed from 5 minutes ago. I love you, but I love Matthew too and I'm married to him."

"You don't have to be, you could…."

"Leave him? Cheat on him? No Bruce, I've been so cruel to him already. He tells me I'm everything to him, and I can't tell him the same. He loves me more than I do him, and it's because so much of me is still yours." Victoria sadly admitted

"Part of me thought, while I was away, that when I came back…" Bruce trailed off.

"I'd still be waiting? And we'd work everything out? I'm afraid it won't be that simple this time, Bruce."

She smiled sadly at him. He took her hand again and leaned slowly forward and whispered. "It may not be simple, or easy, or even the right thing to do. But do I even have a chance of fixing this?"

"Oh, Bruce," Victoria whispered back. '"I'm pretty sure I'll always give you another chance."

Placing a soft kiss on her cheek, Bruce returned her sad smile before walking away.

* * *

Elsewhere, Matthew mumbled a soft thank you to JARVIS and got his suitcase out as the video feed went black.


End file.
